Mailing container with cushioning cell construction

ABSTRACT

A SINGLE ONE-PIECE BLANK OF PAPERBOARD OR CORRUGATED BOARD CAPABLE OF BEING FOLDED INTO A MAILER CONTAINER HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART PARALLEL PANELS AND AN END CELL CUSHIONING CONSTRUCTION CONNECTING AT LEAST A PAIR OF ADJACENT ENDS OF THE PARALLEL PANELS. THE PORTIONS OF THE BLANK WHICH FORM EACH OF THE END CELL CUSHION CONSTRUCTIONS INCLUDE A HINGED FLAP OF CONNECTED WALL PARTS WHICH COOPERATE TO FORM AN INTERIOR WALL PERPENDICULAR TO THE SAID PARALLEL PANELS AND A WALL PARALLEL TO SAID PARALLEL PANELS AND JUXTAPOSED ONE OF THEM HAVING THE BOOK ENGAGED THEREAGAINST. EACH END CELL CUSHIONING CONSTRUCTION IS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID INTERIOR WALL AND AN EXTERIOR WALL OF THE MAILER.

May 23, 1972 O IN .ET AL I 3,664,573

MAILING CONTAINER WITH CUSHIONING CELL CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 20, 1970 INVENTORSv Me's: Paw/Z 2) f/ Jarz 402a a M/ ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1972 Int. Cl. B65d /02 US. Cl. 229-40 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A single one-piece blank of paperboard or corrugated board capable of being folded into a mailer container having a pair of spaced apart parallel panels and an end cell cushioning construction connecting at least a pair of adjacent ends of the parallel panels. The portions of the blank which form each of the end cell cushioning constructions include a hinged flap of connected wall parts which cooperate to form an interior wall perpendicular to the said parallel panels and a wall parallel to said parallel panels and juxtaposed one of,them having the book engaged thereagainst. Each end cell cushioning construction is located between said interior wall and an exterior wall of the mailer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to improvements in a shipping container for mailing books or the like articles employing the cushioning end cell construction described and illustrated in said co-pending application and more particu-.

larly, relates to improvements in said cushioning cell construction which provides interior wall formations which separate the packaged book from said cushioning end cell construction when the container is erected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates a single-piece blank of paperboard or corrugated board which can be folded selectively to make a shipping container for mailing books or other articles. The blank is-capable of being folded to orient a pair of panels in spaced parallel planes connected by end cell cushioning constructions which are formed automatically upon folding of the blank to orient the panels in spaced parallel planes. Each end cell cushioning construction is provided by a slotted end wall arrangement connecting the parallel panels to provide a unique configuration of interwoven strips of paperboard which will support the panels in parallel spaced relationship and protect the corner of the resulting box-like configuration. The space between the panels forms a shipping cavity for books, for instance, the corners of which are internally protected by the end cell cushioning construction formed in accordance with said co-pending application disclosure.

In FIG. 1 of said co-pending application, there was illustrated a paperboard blank for forming a book mailing container in which the end cell cushioning structures were oriented in the interior of the container to engage portions of the packaged book. The book mailer also utilized exterior panels which wrapped around the resulting end cell cushioning structures on the exterior of the container,

but these end cell cushioning structures were exposed on the inside of the container.

The invention provides a paperboard blank from which an end cell cushioning structure can be formed in accordance with the disclosure of said co-pending application and which includes additional hinged flap means integral with said end cell cushioning structure cooperating to provide a vertical wall on the interior of the container which separates the end cell cushioning structure from the packaged article. Additionally said flap means includes a wall part juxtaposed one of the end panels of the container against which the packaged article is engaged. This latter expedient functions to maintain said flap means and cushioning structure properly oriented relative to the packaged book as the container is being erected automatically with the packaged article therein. In other words, said flap means facilitate erecting of the shipping container having the end cell cushioning structure disclosed in said copending application. Also, the said flap means can function as a strut perpendicular to said parallel panels for maintaining separation thereof and preventing collapse of the end cell cushioning structures by compressive forces applied to said parallel panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of paperboard for erecting a shipping folder having the cushioning cell construction and the flap means of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIG. 1 in one stage of erection of the shipping folder.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the blank of FIG. 2 in another stage of erection with said flap means oriented to receive a book thereon.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the shipping folder of FIG. 3 inverted and having the book thereon.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the shipping folder of FIG. 4 completely erected.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 but additionally showing ends of the book engaged against the wall parts of the flap means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. l-S illustrate a blank 10 and the manner of progressive folding thereof to form a shipping container or a book mailer in accordance with the invention. The blank 10 can be cut from a single web of paperboard or corrugated board in a continuous mass production system, as is a common practice in this field. The slitting and scoring which must be done preferably are performed in the same operation, but they may be done subsequently. The slits and creases or fold lines enable the various panels and flaps for the book mailer to be realized when the blank is erected, the various panels and flaps being hingedly connected along the fold lines or creases. These fold lines or creases will be referred to generally herein but will not be designated by reference numerals, except where deemed necessary for purposes of clarification or amplification. -In the following disclosure, the term cushioning cell arrangement will be used in the same manner as in said co-pending application.

The blank 10 has a first rectangular panel 12 and a second rectangular panel 14 of similar size and shape which are interconnected by a side wall panel 16. Wall panels 18 and 20 are hingedly connected to the side edges of the panel 12 along another pair of creases. A pair of flaps 22 and 24 are connected to the wall panels 18 and 20. Another side wall panel 26 is connected to the panel 12 along its front edge. To the outer edge of the panel 26 is hingedly connected a front flap 28.

The cushioning cell arrangement is designated generally 30 of which two are shown in FIG. 1 in flat condition prior to folding of the blank. When folded, each cell arrangement 30 forms a row or array of cushioning cells for protecting the article, such as a book, which contacts the cells. It will be appreciated that each array of cushion cells generally forms a side wall of the container or book mailer.

In order to form the cells, a hinged flap 50 is provided which is hingedly connected to the outer side of each cell arrangement 30. The pair of flaps 50 and cell arrangements 30 shown in FIG. 1 are folded about an axis which is parallel to the cell arrangements and the side wall of the mailer. Each cell arrangement includes a plurality of pairs 38 of alternately inverted contiguous triangularly shaped panels 40 and 42. The sides or legs of the panels are formed by three creases which are askew the folding axis. The bases of the triangles are free edges and are formed by a slit. The apex of one triangle and base of the other triangle in the pair generally lie along the slit or can be characterized as being flush with one another. The non-common legs are generally in parallel relation to one another with the panels being hingedly connected along the common leg. The altitudes of the panels in each pair are generally parallel to one another and parallel to the folding axis. Although, the triangles may be scalene, isosceles, or equilateral, the cell flap, when folded, will be laterally displaced with respect to the panel 14. To control the displacement so that, when the mailer is erected, the cell flap is aligned with respect to the top panel, the end portions of the cell arrangement 30 may be cut transverse to the folding axis. The end cell construction herein described and illustrated is identical to that of said co-pending application to which reference can be made for more detailed analysis.

Each cell arrangement 30 has a flap means 50 hingedly connected along the fold line 52. Said flap member is comprised of a pair of wall parts 54 and 56 hingedly connected together along the fold line 58 with the wall part 56 connected to the fold line 52.

To erect the mailer, the blank is fed through an automatic packaging machine. Normally, the blank 10 would be moved through the machine in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2. The hinged flaps 50 are folded upwardly and inwardly toward one another and into parallel relationship with the top panel 14 as seen in FIG. 2. The folding of the flaps '50 causes the cushioning cells to be formed. Then, the flap members are folded to dispose the wall part 56 perpendicular to the panel 14 and the wall part 54 parallel to and juxtaposed the panel 1 4. The book then can be laid on the ledges formed by said wall parts 54 to hold the cushioning structure in position.

tIn FIG. 4, the blank has been inverted so that the wall 14 is uppermost and folding of side panels 18 and 20 with the side flaps 22 and 24, respectively, have been provided to completely close the cells and the mailer. Normally, the side panels and flaps would be secured to the top panel 14 by adhesive or bonding tapes, the previous two steps can be appreciated from FIGS. 4 and 5. As seen in FIG. 6, the ends or edges of the book can contact the vertical wall part 56 but not the cushioning cell constructions. In this invention, the cushioning cell construction is enclosed between the wall part 56 and panels 18 and 20 as can be determined from FIG. 6. The same situation would apply for the cushioning cell construction on the opposite side of said book mailer not visible in FIG. 6. It will be appreciated that the vertical wall '56 also acts as a strut between the walls 12 and 14 in the erected condition of the mailer.

The blanks of this invention can be shipped to the user in a fiat collapsed position and partially or completely erected as desired. Thus, the user can store and use the blanks, as desired. This blank embodying the invention also is suitable for automatic equipment which can load the book into the blank and complete erection of the blank around the container.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shipping container for a book or like article capable of being erected from a single piece blank of paperboard by folding of the blank about a folding axis, comprising,

(a) a first rectangular panel oriented as the top wall of the container and a second like rectangular panel oriented as the bottom wall of the container, said panels being spaced apart and parallel,

(b) said first panel having a pair of like parallel cushioning end cells hingedly connected along opposite side edges thereof and said end cells each having a flap member hingedly connected to the opposite outside edge of the end cell,

(c) said second panel having a side wall panel hingedly connecting same to said first panel,

(d) each flap member including a pair of hingedly connected wall parts, one of said wall parts being perpendicular to said bottom and top panels and the other part being parallel to and juxtaposed said top wall panel in the interior of the container,

(e) said cushioning end cells each including at least one pair of inverted generally triangular shaped panels hingedly connected along a common leg wherein the legs are formed by creases which are askew the folding axis with the two non-common legs being parallel one to the other and the base of each triangular-shaped panel is provided by a slit edge.

2. A container as described in claim 1 in which said wall parts are generally rectangular in configuration and are coextensive with the end cell to which the flap is connected.

3. A container as described in claim 1 in which said prependicularly oriented wall part is juxtaposed the article to be packaged so as to separate said article from contact with the adjacent end cell.

4. A container as described in claim 3 in which said container has a pair of side wall panels which cooperate with the pair of perpendicularly oriented wall parts to sandwich the end cells therebetween in the erected condition of the container.

5. A container as described in claim 1 in which there is an exterior side Wall parallel to each perpendicularly oriented wall part having a cushioning end cell located therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,856,067 10/1958 Sparks 20665 R 3,116,005 12/1963 Skaggs 229-40 3,263,897 8/1966 G'iroux 22940 3,289,824 12/1966 Boitel 206-46 FR 3,399,821 9/1968 Ringholz 229-40 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner S. P. GARBE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl X.R. 20646 FR 

